A Study In Blue
by Rae D. Magdon
Summary: Neota, Tevos's loyal but overworked assistant, is under even more stress than usual. She keeps seeing more of her boss, Aria, and their friends than she ever imagined, she wants to quit her "side-job" as a Shadow Broker agent, and she hasn't had the courage to call Amara since their one night stand. But when fate intervenes, her already-crazy life gets even crazier... TBE universe
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **You wanted more Neota, so you got more Neota. xD; You get an entire week of Neota! n-n And you get a new novel from me *Points down*

**. . .**

**A Study In Blue**

**or**

**A Week In The Life Of Neota, Another Curious Incident**

**. . .**

**Chapter One:**

"Madame Councilor? I-oh, Goddess..." Neota froze just past the doorway, quickly retreating until her back was plastered against the bedroom wall. Over the years, she had grown accustomed to seeing her very dignified boss in several undignified positions, but this one was by far the worst.

She stared at the tangled figures on the bed, her jaw hanging slack. At first, she could not see Tevos at all. The only things in view were the naked back of a completely different asari, and a shock of bright red hair between her legs. But after a moment of embarrassed gaping, Neota caught a glimpse of the councilor's familiar white tattoos. Her teeth were latched onto the other asari's neck, her hips moved up and down in a fluid rhythm, and her eyes were closed in what was undoubtedly ecstasy.

Neota knew that she should follow Tevos's example and clap her own eyes shut, probably even cover them with a protective hand for good measure, but the image before her was riveting. Her brain had finally sorted through what was happening on the bed. The red-headed human - and surely it was a human, since no other species had such distinctive hair - was pleasing the strange asari with her mouth while Tevos used her hand to do the same. Meanwhile, she caught a familiar flash of purple skin behind Tevos's body, and a wave of heat rushed directly between her legs.

Aria. Of course Aria was there, too. She would never miss…whatever this was. An orgy? Did it count as an orgy if there were only four people, or were there supposed to be more? Neota had no idea. Aside from the 'incident' a month ago when she had taken Amara Anjali back to her apartment, her sexual adventures were minimal, and that was putting it lightly. Part of her still couldn't believe that had actually happened, and she had been far too embarrassed to call the Omnitool number that was still sitting on her nightstand...

The movement behind Tevos stopped, and Neota gasped as Aria's eyes locked with hers. She groped for words, but all that came out was a startled squeak of embarrassment as she tried to melt into the wall behind her. Tevos did not respond, too absorbed in kissing the other asari's neck and rocking back against Aria to notice. She didn't open her eyes until Aria gave her backside a sharp slap. "Babe? You might want to look up."

When Tevos finally opened her eyes, a deep purple flush spread across her face. "Neota?"

Neota peeked out from between two of her fingers. "Goddess, I am so sorry," she whimpered, dragging her hand down from her eyes to her mouth so that she would not say anything else embarrassing.

The sound of her voice startled the other asari on the bed. She whirled around in surprise, nearly falling off the edge of the mattress. This time, Neota recognized her as she scrambled for balance. She had met Doctor Liara T'Soni a few times before, but she had been wearing clothes then. These were entirely different circumstances. "Shepard, stop!" Liara blurted out, yanking at the sheets to try and cover herself.

"What?" came a confused, rough voice from lower down on the mattress. "Why did you get up? You were about to come."

Neota could not stop her eyes from following the sound. She was not surprised to see that the tangle of red hair belonged to Commander Shepard, but without Liara blocking the view, it was very apparent what she and Aria had been doing. A glistening tan shaft stood out from between Shepard's legs, and about half of its length was buried inside of Tevos. Even though she couldn't see, Neota suspected that there was another purple one just behind it.

"I'm sorry about this," Tevos sighed. "Hold still a moment." As Neota watched, she turned to look back over her shoulder. "Aria? I can't get up until you pull out."

Aria's lips pulled into a teasing grin. "What, you want me to stop?"

Tevos's eye roll was visible all the way from the door. "Of course I want you to stop! Now isn't the time for jokes."

Neota trembled as Aria's eyes ran deliberately up and down her body. "Hey, who's joking?"

"Aria!"

"Oh, fine. You're no fun." With a disappointed huff, Aria shifted back on the bed, allowing Tevos to dismount from both of them. The councilor's movements were surprisingly graceful, especially considering what she had just been doing - or, more accurately, what had been done to her. Neota could not help admiring the muscles of her stomach as she swung her legs off the bed and stood to her full height.

"I apologize, Neota," Tevos said as she headed for the closet and the shimmering white robe that hung conveniently from the door. Her normally smooth gait was stiffer than usual, and Neota blushed. Surely handling the queen of Omega and the savior of the entire galaxy at the same time was no easy feat. She was impressed despite herself. "This must be incredibly awkward for you. We weren't expecting guests."

"We don't count as guests?" Liara followed Tevos to the closet, folding her arms over her breasts and turning away to preserve what little remained of her modesty. Tevos slid her arms through her robe, although she did not bother to fasten the tie, and opened the closet to find a similar one for Liara. "I even left Athena with my father, and you know how that usually ends up… Goddess, if she finds out about this, I'll never hear the end of it."

Shepard wiggled up to the head of the bed and grabbed one of the pillows, wrapping her arms and legs around it for protection since Aria was draped over the sheets. "Seriously, Liara? That's what you're worried about right now? Not, you know… getting walked in on? With Aria and Tevos? Or the fact that you still haven't given me one of those robes to cover up with? Aethyta shouldn't even be in the top five." Something about the image of the tall, muscular Commander Shepard in one of Tevos's tiny, form-hugging, silky robes almost made Neota burst out into terrified laughter. The mental image was ridiculous, although she couldn't put her finger on why. But she knew that if she started laughing, she might not be able to stop… and that would only make things even more embarrassing.

Unlike the others, Aria did not appear to be embarrassed by the untimely interruption, or her own nakedness. She lounged on top of the mattress, taking up more than her fair share of the bed and relegating Shepard to one small corner. "Calm down, Shepard. Neota's caught me and Tevos fucking so many times we've lost count. It doesn't matter."

"Well, we aren't you," Liara snapped. A purple blush had started in her cheeks, and as Neota watched, it crawled further down along her neck. She politely averted her eyes before they lingered on Liara's breasts. "And for Athame's sake, put that thing away." Liara gestured dramatically between Aria's legs, clutching the front of her borrowed robe shut with her other hand.

Aria grinned. "That wasn't what you were saying about my cock twenty minutes ago, T'Soni."

Tevos whirled on her, and unlike Liara, she did not bother to hold the sides of her robe together. "Aria, what did I tell you about jokes?" Somehow, Neota thought, seeing her boss half-dressed and half-fucked felt even more...whatever the fluttery feeling in her chest was...than seeing her sandwiched between Shepard, Aria, and Liara. Arousing? Humiliating? Confusing? Awkward? Probably all of those things, she decided. She hadn't felt this lightheaded and confused since the first time she had kissed Amara, and she had been more than a little drunk then...

Aria opened her mouth to comment, but something in Tevos's expression must have warned her that she was overstepping her bounds. She pretended not to care, stretching luxuriously on top of the bed, and propped herself up against the pillows. She did not speak, but she made no move to follow Liara's suggestion and cover herself, either.

Neota swallowed. Walking into a room full of gorgeous people fucking was bad enough, but a knife of desire cut through her belly as she stared at Aria. She was breathtaking. So much smooth, purple skin. The pouting lips. The confident aura. And, of course, the glistening cock between her legs. Neota had never been curious about that sort of thing before, but after walking in on Aria and Tevos one too many times, she had started to wonder.

It certainly didn't help that seeing Aria naked reminded her of Amara. Aria's muscles were a little more prominent, her gaze a little more predatory, but aside from that and the tattoos, she and Amara were nearly a perfect match. Neota tried to work some more moisture into her dry lips. Amara had consumed far too many of her thoughts over the past few weeks.

"Enjoying the view?" Aria asked, staring at her with hooded eyes. Neota's jaw dropped. She wished she could sink into the floor and disappear. She had grown used to Aria's flirtatious behavior, but this was entirely too much for her to handle.

Fortunately, Tevos came to her rescue. "Aria, what did I tell you about tormenting Neota? You know better. The poor girl is shaking." Neota looked down and realized that she was, indeed, shaking. She didn't know whether she was aroused or terrified. Tevos tied the belt of her robe and padded over to the door. "I'm so sorry about all of this. Please, don't let Aria upset you. She has no manners. Now, what did you need from me? I imagine you want to leave as quickly as possible."

Neota only just managed to swallow down a sob of relief. However demanding Tevos might be as a boss, she was also incredibly kind and understanding. It almost made her feel guilty about her other side-job. Reporting on someone she admired and respected had started to make her feel really lousy lately. "I-I didn't mean to… It's just, Khalisah messaged me to say the press release is being moved up to tomorrow, and I thought…"

Tevos sighed and shook her head. "I knew this would happen. I should have waited longer before telling her I was expecting. Asking her to hold onto the news for a week was too much to hope for, I suppose."

Neota's eyes darted down to the gap in Tevos's robe. Even though the belt was tied, she had not bothered to cross one edge of the robe over the other, and there was still a considerable amount of flesh on display. She had found out about Tevos's pregnancy a few weeks ago, but her brain hadn't quite adjusted to the fact yet. Tevos certainly didn't look pregnant, and she had not decreased her workload in any noticeable way. And if what she had walked in on was any indication, Neota thought, her boss probably had no intention of slowing down her sexual activity, either.

"I'm so sorry for interrupting," she said, hoping her voice would not waver too much. "It just seemed important, and I knew I wouldn't see you until tomorrow morning unless I-"

"Please, don't worry about it. I gave you the apartment's keycode for a reason. You were doing your job. More than your job, in fact." Tevos reached out to squeeze her shoulder, and Neota's head spun when she noticed that the councilor had used her left instead of her right. "Now, do you want to leave and pretend this never happened, or do you want a nice strong drink first? You look like you could use it, but I wouldn't dream of making you stay if you'd rather go home and forget all this."

Neota thought about it. Part of her did want to go home, crawl under the covers, and pretend all of this had been some kind of erotic nightmare. The other part of her didn't want to leave. Tevos's offer of a drink was tempting, and the thought of going back to her empty apartment after what she had just witnessed made her twitch. She would be all alone there. Alone, sad, and desperately horny. It wasn't like Amara was going to swoop in out of nowhere and take care of the problem this time, like she did in so many of her vids, and like she had done on that one strange night a month ago. "I think you're right. I need that drink."

**. . .**

**AN:** I am delighted to announce the release of my third published novel, and first solo project: The Second Sister! It's been through two publishing houses, countless editors, and a LOT of websites. It's a fantasy story loosely based on Cinderella, but in case you were wondering, Ellie definitely doesn't end up with the prince, and there's lots of drama and action along the way. ;D It's in first person, and the characters are stronger than any others I've written before. Loved All The Pretty Things and Dark Horizons? Buy this book. Thought they were pretty good, but a bit lacking in character development compared with my fanfiction? Buy this book. Belladonna is one of the more interesting love interests I've written for any of my main characters. Read it online already in the past? Buy this book. I extended and rewrote all the sex scenes, fixed plot problems, and completely revised the entire thing. It is the first in a series of four books, and the next book in the series is coming sometime around August.

For Smashwords: books/view/424670

For Amazon: The-Second-Sister/dp/B00JDW5OXO/

Oh, and in case you are one of the readers that is tired of my cock stuff, there's none of that in the entire series. It's all toyless. xD But don't worry, I'm sure Dante, the sequel to Dark Horizons, and the sequel to All The Pretty Things will take care of that for you if you like it. ;D Speaking of which...

I'm also pleased to announce that All The Pretty Things will be revised and picked up by Desert Palm Press, in addition to its sequel. Both should be released at the same time, near the end of the year. And guess what? If you already bought ATPT, you'll get the new, revised version free from amazon! So hopefully I'll be able to deliver you an even better book than the first time. Feel free to send me your ideas and comments for the sequel. And if you buy my books, LEAVE REVIEWS (hopefully saying nice things).


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Neota shifted uncomfortably in her chair, uncrossing and recrossing her legs yet again as she waited for Tevos to come into the kitchen. Once it had been decided that she would stay, she had made a hasty retreat from the bedroom, mumbling something under her breath about giving Tevos time to clean up. With some much-needed distance, she began to reconsider having that drink. Walking in on Tevos with Aria was something she had actually grown used to over the years, but this was far worse. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to look Tevos in the eye again.

She sighed and looked around the kitchen, desperate for something to calm her racing mind. It was almost too clean, and there wasn't a dirty dish or a spill in sight. She supposed it shouldn't have surprised her - Tevos was normally a very neat, organized person - but somehow, it only reminded her what a mess her own life was. She was overworked (although no longer underpaid or underappreciated, thanks to Tevos), exhausted, and lonely. What little free time she had between her two jobs was spent envying Aria and Tevos's obvious sexual connection, and thinking about her bizarre encounter with Amara. Sometimes, she still couldn't believe that she had actually slept with a porn star. Especially a porn star that looked exactly like her boss's bondmate. It was almost like one of the strange, twisted plots that so often accompanied the vids Amara was famous for, only the ending had been depressing instead of satisfying.

"If only my life was actually like that," Neota whispered to herself, staring longingly at the liquor cabinet for a few moments before lowering her eyes to her lap. In a porn vid, she would have called Amara back instead of being a coward. They would have the kind of wild, crazy sex she was always walking in on. And maybe if the vid was a little sappy like Vaenia 2, they would have lived happily ever after.

Before Neota could reflect any further, a soft noise distracted her. She looked up to see Tevos standing in the doorway, fully dressed and much more presentable. Her eyes were still a little dark, but otherwise, she looked entirely respectable again. "Are you sure you're all right, Neota?" she asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.

As she inhaled, Neota realized that she could smell something sweet, almost like flowers. Tevos's body wash. She spent enough time around the councilor to recognize it. She was secretly thankful that Tevos had taken a moment to wash away the scent of sex that had filled the bedroom. "Perhaps I should be the one asking you that question, Councilor. I really didn't mean to cause such a scene…"

Tevos gave her a reassuring smile. "If anyone caused a scene, it was Aria. Please don't worry about it. You know I trust you…" Neota's stomach twisted with guilt at those words. Tevos had no reason to trust her. She did her best to be a good assistant, but the longer she spent in Tevos's employ, the worse she felt about reporting her activities to the Shadow Broker. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, when she had needed the extra money and the guarantee of not one, but two jobs had been too much to turn down, but now, she dreaded the days leading up to her monthly reports. "... and Shepard and Liara know it was an accident."

Neota blinked, trying to clear her head. Some of Tevos's words had passed by while she was lost in thought. "I hope they aren't too angry," she whispered.

"No, not angry. Embarrassed, and perhaps a little annoyed, but not at you. Aria's reassuring them as we speak." Something in Tevos's voice made Neota wonder whether that was really a good idea. Then, she blushed as she began to consider what 'reassuring' might mean. "Anyway, we know that you won't discuss our… arrangement… with anyone. I doubt it would scandalize the asari population any more than my marriage to Aria did, but some of the other races might not take kindly to the idea, especially the humans. The fallout would probably be worse for Shepard than for me."

"I…" Neota swallowed, and it took her a moment to summon her words. Tevos was looking at her with such trust. "Of course I won't tell." And she wouldn't, she decided, not even to the Shadow Broker. Forwarding schedules, meetings, and a few extranet messages was one thing. Revealing all the details of Tevos's private life was another. She suspected it was something the Shadow Broker might be interested in, but this was one line she couldn't find it in herself to cross.

Tevos smiled and reached out to stroke her cheek. "Good girl. Now, please don't worry about it anymore. I'm going to make you that drink, and you're going to stay in that chair until you stop trembling enough for me to take you home."

Neota remained silent as Tevos glided over to the liquor cabinet and began pulling out bottles. The soft scraping of glass began to calm her down, and her eyes darted between Tevos's back and the entrance to the hallway. She wondered what Aria, Shepard, and Liara were doing. Surely they weren't still occupied. She doubted that anyone could continue having sex after such an embarrassing interruption. Well, perhaps Aria could, but she didn't think that Shepard and Liara would be willing to go along...

She was still trying, not very successfully, to banish the image of a naked Aria from her mind when Tevos set a full glass of something blue in front of her. Neota raised it to her lips without looking at it, sighing as the liquid slid down her throat. It was sweet and smooth at the same time, but even so, she coughed as she finally finished her first sip. She was almost as inexperienced with drinking as she was with sex. "What is this?" she asked once she had caught her breath, staring at the glass in her hand.

"An azure kiss," Tevos told her. "One of my favorites." Her tone was not obviously suggestive, but it made Neota's face burn anyway. She averted her eyes as Tevos sat down in the chair beside her, too embarrassed to look at her. "Are you sure you're all right, my dear? You don't have any reason to be upset…"

Neota hung her head. She had every reason to be upset. Part of her wanted to tell Tevos everything. To admit her hopeless attraction to Aria. To tell her about Amara, and how she was too afraid to contact her again. To confess that she was a Shadow Broker agent and beg Tevos to help her find a way to quit without putting her own life in danger. But she couldn't. It would only make the mess she was already in that much worse. "I'm fine," she said, although her words did not even sound convincing to her own ears.

"I don't think you are. But if you don't want to talk about it with me, I understand. I am technically your boss, even if I also consider you a friend. And you did just catch me in a very awkward position."

A vivid memory of the position that Tevos had been in resurfaced in Neota's mind, and she could not push it away. Tevos's hand had seemed so insistent as it moved between Liara's legs, even though she had not been able to get a good view while they were facing each other. And the sight of both Aria and Shepard buried in her at the same time… a shiver raced down the middle of Neota's back. Being attracted to Aria was difficult enough, but being attracted to Tevos as well, in addition to envying her, was even worse.

Neota took another long draw from her glass, hoping that the alcohol hidden behind the sweetness of the azure kiss would help relax her. She was still thrumming with energy, although she could not decide whether it was because she was aroused or nervous. She tightened her fingers around the glass just in case her shaking hands let it slip. Then, she swallowed and set it down on top of the table. "Do you really consider me a friend?" she asked before she could think better of it.

"Of course. You've done a great deal for me, Neota. In addition to guarding my personal reputation through some very trying circumstances, you saved my life the day the Reapers attacked. I just wish you didn't always seem so… sad, I suppose."

Neota's eyes widened. "I had no idea you noticed," she blurted out. "I mean, you have so many other important things that require your attention…"

"Of course I noticed. I see you nearly every day. And I also know there were a few days last month when you couldn't stop smiling. Why did that end?"

Perhaps, Neota thought, confessing just one of her secrets wouldn't be so bad. She knew so many of Tevos's, and it only felt right to share something in return. It would put them on even footing, at least. "I met someone. Or, well, you helped me meet someone, I guess…" She was tempted to reach for the glass again, but stopped when she saw that she had already downed half of it without realizing.

Tevos smiled. "Amara? I was hoping she would take the hint when I sent you over to her apartment. I'm fairly certain that I know your type."

This time, Neota could not resist the temptation to finish off her azure kiss. Her fingers were already tingling, and she suspected that if she stood up, she would be a little wobbly on her feet. Of course, the alcohol might not have been entirely to blame for her lack of coordination. She did manage to set the empty glass down safely on the table again before she said, "But… you know that I would never… I mean, Aria…"

Tevos understood what she meant immediately. "Don't worry about that, Neota. I know you wouldn't. And despite appearances, I have Aria very well-trained. She might enjoy teasing you, but she would never actually proposition you without my approval. She's incredibly faithful - at least, the way we define it."

Neota let out a soft sob and sank back in her char. She had guessed through Tevos's actions that the councilor had picked up on the attraction she felt toward Aria, but it was a relief to talk about it openly. "I'm so sorry. She's just…"

"I know." When Neota risked a glance at her, she noticed that Tevos looked just a little smug. "You aren't the only one to fall under her spell. But what about Amara? I didn't send you over there to see her again just because she looks like Aria, you know. We've spoken several times, and she's a very nice person, in addition to being surprisingly business savvy. If the time you spent with her made you smile so much, why are you so sad now?"

"I haven't seen her since," Neota admitted. "We spent the night together, and she gave me her number, but… I was too scared to call her." As she explained what had happened, Neota began to regret her decision more and more. It had seemed right at the time, but now, she wished she had given in and hit the 'connect' button after one of the countless times she had entered in the number. She had almost done it once or twice, but her doubts had gotten the best of her. "I suppose I didn't think she was really interested in seeing more of me. Surely she has her pick of maidens, or whoever else she wants…"

Tevos sighed and shook her head. "You still have a lot to learn, my dear. If Amara wasn't interested, she would have just left instead of giving you her number. It was a invitation, and if my guess is right, it's still open. You should call her." Neota's head swam, and she rested her elbow on the table, wrapping her fingers around the edge to steady herself. "Tomorrow, of course. For now, I'm putting you to bed."

"I'll take rapid transit…"

"You'll take the guest room. Shepard and Liara won't be using it anyway." Neota opened her mouth to protest, but Tevos stood before she could get the words out. Her mind felt sluggish, and her poor, overstimulated body suddenly seemed exhausted. She was grateful when Tevos helped her to her feet and guided her through the kitchen and down the hall. Just as she had suspected, her legs were wobbly beneath her.

"Goddess, what did you put in that drink?" she said, careful not to slur her words.

"Enough alcohol to calm you down, but perhaps I overdid it. I'm used to making drinks for Aria. You don't feel sick, do you?"

Neota shook her head. She didn't feel sick, although her head felt heavier and heavier as Tevos led her through a side door. "Thank you," she whimpered gratefully as Tevos unzipped the back of her dress and eased it over her shoulders. She couldn't even bring it in herself to be embarrassed about her partial nakedness, although Tevos made no move to take off her undershirt.

"You're welcome." Tevos gave the side of her hip an affectionate squeeze and helped her onto the mattress. "Just rest. It's late, and you're in no condition to go anywhere. I'm giving you the day off tomorrow, as long as you promise to take some time and think about what I said."

"I… I will…"

"Good. Sleep well."

Neota's eyes closed as soon as Tevos switched out the light and closed the door. As she drifted into the smooth darkness of sleep, she wasn't sure whether the last image her thoughts conjured up was of Aria's face, or Amara's.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

The world was a colorful blur when Neota opened her eyes, but she knew within seconds that she was not in a familiar place. She blinked a few times, and slowly, her surroundings came into focus. This room was much larger than hers, and sunlight streamed in through the open curtains, casting rays of gold over the comforter on top of the bed.

Her dreams had been filled with soft, warm skin and naked bodies curving fluidly together. She could only remember snatches of picture, fleeting touches, but when she thought further, some of the images were remarkably clear. Tevos's slender hand moving between Liara's legs. The tan shaft of Shepard's cock splitting her azure open. Aria, gripping Tevos's hips and driving into her from behind, muscles twitching, staring over her shoulder with dark, swirling eyes, looking directly at…

Neota shivered as a heavy throb pulsed directly between her legs. Her inner muscles began fluttering, but she let out a startled gasp when she finally remembered where she was. "Oh, Goddess. It wasn't a dream…" She whimpered and slumped down beneath the covers, pulling them over her head and hiding in the darkness. Unfortunately, she could not ignore the small wet spot on the sheets beneath her thigh. She didn't think she could bear to leave the bedroom and face Tevos again.

A knock on the door made her stiffen with fear. She tried to find her voice, but nothing came out except for a small, terrified squeak. She stayed buried underneath the covers, hoping that whoever was outside would go away and leave her to wallow in her humiliation. Unfortunately, her bad luck continued. The door opened, and a voice called out to her, slightly muffled through the comforter. "Neota? Are you awake?"

This time, she managed to answer. "Yes…"

"Are you going to come out of there?" Reluctantly, she abandoned the safety of her hiding place and peeked out from beneath the sheets. Liara was standing in the doorway with a smile on her face and a plate in her hand. Despite her best efforts, Neota couldn't stop herself from remembering what she looked like without clothes. "Good morning. Please, don't feel bad. Shepard and I know you didn't mean to walk in on us last night. We aren't upset."

Neota breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Thank you. It really was an accident-"

Liara gave her a soft, sympathetic look. "Of course. Tevos had to go in to the office, but she told me that she gave you the day off, so we made breakfast."

"We?" she whispered, desperately hoping that Liara's 'we' did not include Aria. After her conversation with Tevos the night before, and especially after what she had seen, she wanted to stay as far away from Aria as possible.

Liara seemed to guess why she was nervous. "Shepard and me. Here, take this. It's human food, because that's all Shepard knows how to make, but I think you'll like it." She stopped at the side of the bed and held out the plate.

Neota took a closer look. Several golden-brown circles were stacked in the middle, and they were covered in a shiny brown glaze. They smelled sweet, and she leaned closer as she dropped the covers away. "What's this?"

"Pancakes and maple syrup. They've become one of my favorite foods. There are some eggs as well, although they're from an Earth species. They shouldn't taste too different from what you're accustomed to."

Neota took the plate and set it carefully on her lap. "Are you sure I should eat in bed?"

"Tevos insisted. She thought you could use some comfort food."

Her face fell. Tevos's kindness and understanding should have made her happy. Instead, guilt clawed at her chest. The last of her lingering arousal faded away, but even that didn't make her feel better. She didn't deserve to be treated so well by Tevos and her friends. Technically, she was still working for the Shadow Broker, even if she only passed along work-related information. Tevos's trust in her was completely misplaced. She stared sadly down at the pancakes, unsure whether she had the appetite to try them. "I… thank you," she murmured, picking up her fork and twisting it in her hand. "It was really nice of you to bring me this, but..."

Liara's forehead tightened with concern. "Is something wrong, Neota? I can make you something else if you decide you don't want pancakes."

"No, it's not the food." Neota forced herself to cut off a small piece of the nearest brown edge and bring it to her mouth. It tasted surprisingly good, especially where the syrup had seeped in, and she swallowed quickly. "It's not even the fact that I, um… well, you know. Walked in on… the point is, I'm just a little sad today, and even though I appreciate the concern, I'd rather not talk about it."

Liara gave her a long, searching look. It made her feel incredibly exposed, almost as if her thoughts were being read without the help of a meld. Her heart thumped faster against the cage of her ribs, and her hands shook so badly that she nearly dropped her fork onto the bed. Then, at last, Liara nodded her head. "I understand. We don't know each other that well, and I would never want to intrude on your privacy. But Tevos did ask me to give you one more thing before she left work." She reached into her jacket and pulled out a small datapad.

Neota swallowed another bite of her pancakes and set down her fork, reaching out to take it. The screen was empty except for a very familiar serial number, and a small note. 'Call her!' Heat bloomed across her cheeks, and she hurried to tuck the datapad out of site among the covers. "Oh! Um… thank you?" She cleared her throat and tried again. "Really, thank you. I…"

Liara smiled and shook her head. "It was nothing. Now, I think I'll leave you alone to enjoy your pancakes." She turned toward the door, but paused to offer one last thought. "You know, I think you should call her, whoever she is. Maybe that will put a smile back on your face."

Once Liara was safely out of earshot, Neota set her half-finished breakfast on the empty nightstand and pulled up the datapad. A lump rose in her throat when she realized that it had a 'call' function. Now, she couldn't even make excuses about finding her Omnitool. She bit down on her lower lip, curling her fingers into the comforter. It would only take one tap. But did she really want to invite Amara back into her life? She was gorgeous, of course, as well as friendly and considerate, and that wasn't even taking into consideration the things she could do with her tongue.

Neota sighed. Things just never seemed to work out for her, romantically or professionally. There was always a twist that ruined everything. She had landed her dream job and lifted herself out of poverty, but only because she had agreed to report to the Shadow Broker. She had met Aria, a woman who was her physical ideal, but she was clearly devoted to Tevos. And then there was Amara. Neota wasn't sure that she had the courage to find out what her 'twist' would be. Something would surely go wrong if she tried to get to know her better. She would make a fool of herself, or showcase her inexperience, or come across as so lonely and desperate that Amara would never want to see her again…

She set the datapad aside. It was better this way. Safer. At least if she was alone, she wouldn't have her heart broken. Besides, if she did talk to Amara, what would she say? How would she explain waiting so long to call? While she continued listing excuses, she reached for the datapad again, placing it back in her lap. She didn't know why she wanted it near her, especially since she had already decided not to use it.

As she stared down at the number, the words_ 'Call her!'_ stood out underneath it. Even though they were only typed on the screen, Neota could almost hear them in Tevos's voice._ 'If Amara wasn't interested, she would have just left instead of giving you her number...'_

Neota took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and jabbed her finger forward. Nothing happened at first. Part of her had expected the universe to end as soon as she pressed the call button. Surely the ground beneath her would split apart, the sky would tremble above her, and…

"Neota?" A low, smooth voice came through the datapad, sounding a little surprised, but undoubtedly pleased.

Neota opened her eyes again, and her heart flew up into her mouth when she saw Amara's face smiling up at her. She groped for words, but all she could force out was a shaking, hoarse "Hello…"

Fortunately, Amara did not seem to notice how scared she was - or if she did, she was polite enough not to point it out. "Hello to you, too. It's been a while. I was starting to think you'd lost my number or something." Amara's tone was light and teasing, but even in her terrified state, Neota caught a trace of hurt behind it.

"I didn't lose it," she blurted out before she could think better of it. "I mean, I just…" She swallowed and decided to go with the truth. "I just didn't think you'd want me to call."

Amara's brow lifted in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're gorgeous." Neota's eyes widened in terror as the words escaped, and she clapped both hands over her mouth, muffling a groan with her fingers. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, wishing desperately that she could go back in time and start the entire conversation over again. Goddess, it was already happening. She was embarrassing herself just like always, and...

"Gorgeous, huh? I'm glad you think so, but why would something like that stop you from calling me?"

Reluctantly, Neota peeled her hands away from her mouth. She wanted to keep them there forever and prevent herself from saying anything else foolish, but she knew that Amara expected an answer. "I… I was nervous. I'm no good at this. Meeting people, sex, dating…"

Her voice trailed off, but Amara filled the silent space between them with laughter before it grow awkward. "Is this your way of asking me out on a date, Neota?"

"I, um… well…" She took in a shallow, shaking breath. "Yes?"

Amara's warm smile made her heart trip out of rhythm. "I'd love to. Dinner? Maybe later tonight?" Neota found herself nodding in agreement. She had used up all of her words. "Good. Want me to pick you up? I'm pretty sure I remember where you live."

Neota blushed as she recalled what had happened the last time Amara had visited her apartment. What if Amara expected sex again right away? What if Amara didn't want to have sex at all because of her inexperience? What if… "Okay."

"Then I'll see you tonight. By the way… nice undershirt." Amara gave her a wink before ending the call.

Neota sighed and sank back down under the covers, pushing the datapad away. She covered her face with her hands again, but her cheeks hurt from smiling. She wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or terrified. She desperately wanted to see Amara again, but spending the evening together meant that there would be plenty of opportunities for her to make mistakes. She had already tripped over herself several times during their minute-long conversation. How was she possibly going to keep from embarrassing herself for an entire night?

"She said yes," Neota reminded herself, peeking out from between her fingers. "She said yes, and that means she wants to spend time with me. If she wants to spend time with me, that means she likes me. And if she likes me, that means…"

It meant she had a chance. She wasn't sure for what yet, but she was going to find out, whether she was ready or not.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

Neota hovered in front of her bedroom closet, twisting her hands as she glanced back and forth between the hangers. Even though she always dressed professionally, and she cared about the quality of her clothes, looking over the limited options she had was almost depressing. There were only five casual dresses, one for each day of the work week, and the two pairs of pants she owned didn't fit properly anymore. Since becoming Tevos's assistant, she had lost a few pounds - most likely due to stress. And if the way her heart was thumping against her rib cage was any indication, she was probably due to lose a few more. She did own a gown, but only because Tevos occasionally asked her to attend important events, and it seemed far too formal for a date.

"How am I supposed to pick? I don't even know where she's taking me. What if it's somewhere really nice and expensive? Oh Goddess, I asked her out, so I suppose that means I need to pay… but she's the one picking me up and choosing the place… and I don't even know what time she's showing up!" Neota buried her face in her hands, letting out a muffled scream into her palms. Amara, her job, Tevos and Aria. It was too much. All of this was a huge mistake. Just another opportunity to make a bigger mess of her already messy life. She needed to call Amara and cancel, maybe make up a story about how she was sick, or...

The sound of the buzzer nearly made her fall over in surprise. Her eyes darted over to the clock, and she swallowed when she noticed the time. 15:00 counted as 'evening', didn't it? That meant Amara was waiting at the door. Worst of all, she was still in her underwear. Selecting those had been a chore in itself. In a panic, Neota grabbed the closest dress she could: Wednesday, the purple one with the white stripe down the center. It showed a little more flesh than the others, since a small diamond of fabric had been cut from the front to reveal the dip of her collarbone, but the sleeves were long enough to cover her upper arms, and it came with a matching set of gloves.

The buzzer rang again, and Neota squeaked, shoving the gloves between her teeth as she hauled the dress over her head. It took a fair amount of wiggling, but eventually, she got it past her shoulders and the widest part of her hips. Maybe she hadn't lost as much weight as she thought. That, or she was panicking so much that even putting on clothes was beyond her abilities. She hoped it was option one. She ran out of the bedroom in what could only be described as a sprint, pulling on her gloves as she dodged around the couch in the living room. She was out of breath by the time she arrived at the front door, and too overwhelmed to pause and collect herself before she threw it open.

Amara stood in the hallway, a smile on her face and one hand on her hip. She was also wearing a dress, a black one that showed a fair amount of her smooth purple skin. Her throat was completely exposed, and she had no sleeves to speak of, leaving her arms scandalously bare. Her hands were covered with short black gloves, but they stopped at her slender wrists. Neota suddenly became conscious of how hard she was breathing. It was difficult to forget what those hands had done to her just a few short weeks ago.

"Hey there," Amara purred. The low, smooth velvet of her voice sent a shiver down Neota's spine. "Ready to go?"

"Yes!" Neota blurted out before she could stop herself. The volume of her own words startled her, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Um, I mean… I think so?"

She trembled as Amara's eyes swept over her, lingering at the strip of bare skin above her breasts and following the white stripe that ran down the center of her stomach. They drifted lower, lower… passing her hips and the juncture between her legs to settle on her feet. "Without shoes?"

Warmth rushed to the points of Neota's cheeks. She let out a soft whimper and tilted her head down, even though she already knew what she would find. Just as she had feared, her feet were completely bare. "Oh Goddess. I guess I need those, don't I?"

"Probably a good idea if we're going out," Amara said. She stepped through the door and closed it behind her, shifting her weight to one hip. Neota swallowed, unwilling to raise her eyes from the floor, no matter how tempting the sight in front of her was. She flinched as a gentle hand cupped under her chin and forced her to look up. Amara's face was softness and smiles, so beautiful that it made her chest ache. "Hey, Neota… I think you're forgetting to breathe, too."

Or that could explain the burning sensation in her lungs… Neota took in a shaky gulp of air. "I'll go get my shoes, then." She started to turn back toward the bedroom, but one of Amara's hands caught her wrist. Heat burned her arm even through two layers of fabric.

"Don't worry about being nervous tonight, okay? I hope it doesn't last too long, because I want you to relax and have a good time, but I think it's cute."

"You… think it's cute?" Neota repeated without turning around.

The solid, warm length of Amara's body pressed against her back, and slender arms wrapped around her waist from behind. "Actually, I think you're cute. Well, not just cute… but I think I should wait until later to tell you the other things I think you are."

Neota froze, torn between pulling away and leaning back into Amara's comfortable embrace. She desperately wanted more physical contact, but she knew it was far too soon. A drunken one night stand was one thing, but she wanted to spend a little more time with Amara before falling into bed with her again. And if the teasing hands resting on her stomach started to wander, that was exactly what would happen. "Okay," she breathed, untangling herself as carefully as she could from Amara's arms. "I - I'd like that. But first…"

"Shoes." Amara gave her hip one last squeeze, and then pushed gently against the dip in her spine, urging her forward. "Go find them, and then we'll get some dinner."

. . .

"This is the place you chose for dinner?" Neota asked, staring up at an all-too-familiar sign. It wasn't that Apollo's Cafe was a bad restaurant. In fact, they made some of the best gourmet wraps and sandwiches on the Presidium, and their prices were definitely affordable. She stopped by to grab drinks for herself and Councilor Tevos at least twice a week during the morning rush. But the cafe also had its downsides, its very embarrassing downsides, and with her luck...

Amara came to a stop beside her. "Not a fan? That's too bad. The food's really good, and I thought you'd prefer somewhere low-key. Less pressure, you know?"

Neota hurried to explain herself. The last thing she wanted to do was make Amara regret her choice. "No, I am! I would! I mean…" She swallowed and turned to look at Amara, hoping the dark purple flush on her face wasn't too obvious. "I actually love this place. It does have good food, and it's definitely a more relaxed atmosphere. Thank you for thinking about where I'd feel most comfortable."

A small line appeared in the center of Amara's forehead, and Neota noticed that it was in the exact same place where Aria's tattoo rested. "I'm hearing a 'but' at the end of that sentence. What's the problem? I really won't be upset if you want to go somewhere else. There's a sushi restaurant a little further down the strip…"

"The only 'but' is that I'm a regular here, and I know some of the other, um, regulars. If someone saw me…"

The worry line on Amara's forehead grew deeper. "Are you sure, Neota? I like you a lot, but if being out in public with me makes you uncomfortable…"

Neota suddenly realized her mistake. Her eyes grew wide, and she sucked in a horrified gasp. "Oh, no! No, no, no. It's not because of you. If some of the people here saw me on a date with anyone at all, they'd tease me." Amara still didn't look convinced, and in a moment of desperation, Neota reached out to take her hands. Even though they were both wearing gloves, she could not shake the impression that Amara's fingers were incredibly soft. "Please… stay. It took me weeks to get up the courage to call you, but I thought about doing it every day. I'm a little terrified, but I want to be here with you more than anything."

Amara lowered her eyes, and for a moment, Neota was afraid that she would walk away. But instead, she smiled and squeezed their joined hands tighter. "It's okay. You aren't the only one that's just a little bit terrified."

"You too?"

"Uh-huh. It's not always easy finding real dates when you're a porn star. Most people get the wrong idea about me."

Neota tugged her lower lip between her teeth. "I… honestly, it didn't even cross my mind. I mean, I've… um… watched your vids, but I wouldn't have thought your career would make it hard to find a date. You're so kind. I remember how well you treated me when Councilor Tevos sent me to your apartment…"

Amara's face broke into a smile. "The fact that 'kind' is the first adjective you came up with to describe me is why I wanted to go out with you in the first place." She turned and held out her arm. "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

Neota looped her elbow through Amara's without any hesitation. "That sounds wonderful."

They wove between the tables arm in arm, making their way toward the glowing sign. The cafe was a little crowded, but they had beaten the worst part of the dinner rush, and they didn't have to wait for a table. Soon, they were tucked away in a cozy place beside the bar. "You know, I think this is the fastest I've ever been served here," Neota said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should come in the evenings more often instead of early in the morning…"

Amara laughed. "This place is crazy in the morning. Everyone wants their coffee to get through the work day, and once 10:00 hits, they come here during their lunch breaks. Evening is much better. The people looking for alcohol and a good time go to Purgatory, so it's usually not too crowded."

"I'm, uh, not much of a drinker." Neota flushed as she remembered the second time she had met Amara, and the dramatic effect of Tevos's Azure Kiss. "Alcohol and I aren't exactly friends."

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing. Drinking every once in a while is fine, but in my line of work, you meet plenty of people who should probably cut back."

"It's the same for me. You'd be surprised what politicians do in their spare time… I mean, not Councilor Tevos, of course..."

Amara smirked, leaning closer over the table. "Councilor Tevos is a special case. We all have our vices, but she was smart enough to marry hers."

A vivid, intense image of Aria moving behind Tevos flashed to the front of Neota's mind, and she had to blink to clear her head. "I… I suppose it did work out well for her in the end. She really is a wonderful boss, even if it is difficult working for her sometimes."

"Still walking in on them, huh?"

Neota sighed and nodded her head. "Yes. It isn't their fault. It just sort of… happens."

"Just sort of happens?" Amara repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, what do you mean?" a deep, gravelly, uncomfortably familiar voice said from beside the table. "I'm pretty curious myself."

Neota's chest tightened. Even though she knew who she would see when she raised her head, and even though it was exactly what she had feared when she had first seen the glowing lights of the Apollo's Cafe sign, she couldn't bring herself to lift her eyes. She stared determinedly down at the table, praying that if she didn't look, the source of her embarrassment would go away. Unfortunately, she had no such luck.

"Aw, come on. You can't stop there," the voice protested.

One of Amara's hands reached across the table to rest on top of hers. "Neota, who is this?"

Neota swallowed, trying to force down the thick lump in her throat. "Oh. Her? Um…"

"Matriarch Aethyta, and I'm gonna be your server tonight. Don't technically work here anymore, since I stopped all that spying business, but let's just say I came by for a drink and felt a bit nostalgic."

Neota pulled her hand away from Amara's and covered her face, praying that she would melt into the floor and disappear. She had been right all along. Going out with Amara had gotten her tangled in another awful, embarrassing mess.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Neota squeezed her eyes shut and let out a strangled whimper. The sound was slightly muffled behind her palms. This was turning out worse than she had feared. She had been forced to deal with Aethyta nearly every day during the first half of the war while ordering Tevos's morning coffee, and the blunt Matriarch had never missed an opportunity to make a teasing comment. Of all the people who could have approached her here...

"And I know who you are, of course," Aethyta continued, obviously not put off by her show of embarrassment or Amara's confused stare. "Amara Anjali. Your stuff's pretty good. My kid likes it, anyway."

"Thank you." Although she couldn't see Amara's expression, Neota imagined that it was placid and unreadable as she answered. "Your kid… you mean Liara T'Soni? I met her at a party once. She was very sweet, although I'm not sure why she would discuss her private tastes with her father."

Aethyta snorted. "Discuss? Nah. My kid's a prude. I just know because I've snooped around her apartment." She admitted the transgression without any shame, as if looking through people's private vids was a normal occurrence. "Hey, all I'm saying is, babysitting a newborn can get a little boring sometimes. Gotta find my entertainment where I can."

Reluctantly, Neota peered out through a crack between her fingers. Aethyta had made herself comfortable, leaning against one side of the table. Amara appeared to be torn between confusion and amusement, although she didn't seem offended by anything Aethyta had said… yet. Neota couldn't help wondering how long it would last. She needed to try and fix this situation before it deteriorated into a humiliating, unsalvageable mess. "Um… It's nice to see you here, Aethyta, but can you really be our server if you don't work here anymore?"

A grin spread across Aethyta's face. "Aw, come on. No one else can threaten the kitchen staff quite as good. Trust me, you want me to bring out your food. I'll make sure you get the best damn dinner this side of the Presidium. Not bad for a first date, huh?"

Amara's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"It's pretty obvious. This one's blushing so bad she's almost the same color as you." Neota closed the gap between her fingers and shut her eyes again when Aethyta jabbed a thumb in her direction. "And you both look as nervous as a salarian that's just run into a krogan merc squad with his pants around his ankles."

Neota flinched, then peeled her hands away from her face. She cleared her throat. "Aethyta, I appreciate that you're trying to help us, but…"

"Really, it's no problem. I was young and in love once, even if it was a couple of centuries ago…" When neither of them summoned a reply swiftly enough, Aethyta let out a barking laugh. "Okay, maybe not so young. I'm assuming both of you want alcohol? It's on the house."

Even though she knew alcohol was probably not a good idea, Neota forced out a shaking, "Yes, thank you." She wasn't sure she could continue to deal with Aethyta for the next several hours without at least a small buzz. "But please, something really weak. I don't do well with…"

She flinched as Aethyta gave her a clap on the back. "You got it, kid. I'll get you something nice. And you…" Aethyta gave Amara a long, thoughtful look. "I think I know just the thing for you. Used to be a bartender, you know. I got pretty good at reading people."

"I'll submit myself to your expertise, Matriarch Aethyta," Amara purred. "Bring me a surprise."

"All right. Glad you're the adventurous type." Neota coughed as Aethyta gave her another forceful pat between the shoulderblades "You might even persuade this one here to come out of her shell and have some fun for a change."

Neota let out a soft sigh as Aethyta strolled away from the table, unsure whether to be horrified about what had just happened, or grateful that the Matriarch was gone. "I'm sorry about that," she mumbled, refusing to meet Amara's eyes. "This is why I was a little nervous about coming here… Liara mentioned she was on the Citadel, and whenever she visits, she hangs around here."

Amara's lips twitched into a smile, and Neota felt her stomach loop over itself. "Are you kidding? She's a riot. I hope I'm that interesting when I'm her age."

"But…"

"She complimented my work without being too rude, and she's getting us free drinks. Not exactly something I'd complain to management about." Amara's eyes softened, and Neota felt warm pressure surround her hand. She looked down to see soft purple fingers wrapped around hers. "But if she's really bothering you, I'm sure we can ask her politely to give us some privacy."

Neota thought about it. Aethyta wasn't likely to leave them alone even if she asked, and if Amara liked her… "It's okay. I just hope she behaves herself." She knew that was asking too much even as she said it. "And if you don't mind, could you try my drink when it gets here? If I know Aethyta, her definition of 'weak' is really different from mine."

"Of course. I'm excited to see what she brings me. I hope it's something sweet."

Neota had to swallow down the words 'like you' with an audible gulp. She had no idea where these ridiculous thoughts were coming from, but something about Amara made her want to blurt out the strangest, sappiest things. Maybe Aethyta would turn out to be her inadvertent savior. If the matriarch was busy embarrassing her, she wouldn't have as much time to embarrass herself first. It was a strangely freeing thought.

"So… do you get recognized a lot in public? I'm not surprised that Aethyta knew who you were right away, because she's, um… well…"

"An old pervert," Amara finished for her. "It's all right. She'd admit it if we asked."

"Yes. But what about everyone else?"

Amara shrugged. "Depends on the day. I've gotten creepy propositions, random requests for autographs, and some fanmail that's actually pretty sweet, but you'd be surprised how easily I blend in most of the time. Everyone is usually too preoccupied with their own lives to notice who's around them, and lots of famous people live on the Citadel. Not that I consider myself famous, but I've got a respectable fan base, and I put my name on my work. It happens a little more often now since the latest Aria/Tevos vid came out. That one sold really well, and since I was also the producer, I ended up with a tidy profit." She grinned and leaned close, deliberately lowering her voice. "It's a lot more fun, though, when people mistake me for Aria in real life. More than a few big, scary-looking krogan have flinched away from me in public, and sometimes when I'm standing in a line, the queue just disappears. I guess I look enough like her that they don't want to take any chances, even if I am missing the facial tattoos."

Neota's eyes flickered up to Amara's face. The resemblance really was striking. They had the same violet skin, the same dark eyes, and the same high cheekbones. With the right makeup, they could have passed for twins. But there was a softness to the line of Amara's jaw, a fullness to her lips that Aria didn't have. "You really do look like her," she murmured, letting her gaze dart away once she realized how intently she was staring.

A brief shadow crossed Amara's face, but she hid it with a smile. "I'll take that as a compliment. Aria's a beautiful woman."

Neota's eyes widened, and she hurried to backtrack. "Oh Goddess, I... um… I didn't call you just because you look like her. I hope you know that. It's just, you were so sweet to me last time, and..."

Amara's fingers tightened briefly around hers before she drew them off the table. "Don't worry, Neota. I know that. Otherwise, we'd just be back at your apartment in bed instead of out on a real date."

Fire bloomed beneath Neota's cheeks, and she had to clutch at the skirt of her dress to keep from covering her face again. Aethyta had been right before. Her face was probably a deep shade of purple by now. Before she could speak, a throat cleared behind her shoulder, and she jerked around to see Matriarch Aethyta watching them with a smug look. She balanced a serving tray in one hand, and the other was plastered firmly on her hip. "Athame's tits, you two are just fucking adorable, aren't you?"

Neota groaned and slumped down a little further in her chair. She stared nervously at the table as Aethyta set two colorful glasses in front of them. "A Parnithia Puncher for you. Don't worry, I took out most of the punch while I was making it. Normally, this drink will have you face first on the table. And for you, an Azure Kiss. You look like the type of girl who enjoys her drinks sweet."

"Good guess. It's one of my favorites." Amara reached out and took Neota's glass instead, drawing it across the table. "Here, I'll try this for you first." Neota felt most of the air leave her lungs as Amara brought it to her lips and took a long, deep sip. She hadn't thought it was possible to be envious of a drink before. When Amara lowered the glass again, she smiled and nodded her head. "I think you'll like this. Give it a taste." She offered the drink back, and Neota hurried to take it, inadvertently brushing Amara's fingers.

Knowing that she might lose her courage if she waited, Neota took a quick gulp, coughing as fire slid down her throat. It was sharper than she had expected, but the taste of alcohol wasn't overwhelming, either. Perhaps Aethyta really had adjusted the proportions as promised. It wasn't until she set the glass back down that she noticed the imprint of Amara's lips on the rim. Suddenly, the aftertaste of the drink seemed sweeter.

Once Aethyta was satisfied that both of them were enjoying their drinks, she leaned against the edge of the table again. "I already know exactly what you want to eat, Neota, since you order the same damn wrap every time you come here."

Neota bit down on her lower lip. "I'm surprised you remember."

"I never forget an order. Now you, beautiful. What's it going to be?"

"I'll go with one of the salads, and throw some grilled fish on top."

Aethyta gave an approving nod. "Good girl. Salads should come with meat, or at least a shitton of dressing. I'll go grab those for you." She tucked the tray under her arm and wove between the tables with practiced ease, seeming very pleased with herself.

"I'm surprised the kitchen is actually listening to her," Neota whispered once Aethyta had disappeared. "If some crazy person came into my restaurant and demanded to start serving customers…"

Amara grinned. "Come on, Neota. You know how she is. If Aethyta showed up in your kitchen and started barking orders, would you be able to tell her no?"

"No… I guess I wouldn't. Actually, most of the galaxy probably wouldn't. She's very, um, demanding when she wants to be."

"Demanding, yes, but also entertaining."

"If you say so." Neota brought her glass back to her mouth. After a moment of hesitation, she tilted the glass so that her lips would touch the place where Amara's had been, hoping she wouldn't notice. On second taste, the drink wasn't quite so fiery. She swallowed, fighting to keep her hands from shaking. The last thing she wanted to do was spill her drink all over her lap.

"Don't worry about Aethyta," Amara whispered. Neota felt something brush against her calf, and took in a soft, hitched breath when she realized that it was the toe of Amara's boot. "We're going to have a great night. She just made it extra memorable."

Neota swallowed again. The way Amara's lips wrapped around the word 'memorable' had her heart pounding against her ribs. Despite everything that had gone wrong so far, just being around Amara made her happy. "It's already memorable," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Amara let out a soft laugh. "You know, Aethyta's right. You really are adorable."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

"I think this is the best salad I've ever had," Amara said, setting her fork back down on the table. "Whatever Aethyta said to the kitchen staff must have worked, because it was amazing. The fish was perfect, and the oil they drizzled on top…" She sighed and leaned back in her chair, folding her hands contentedly over her stomach.

Neota followed her motions, although she tried not to let her gaze linger on the curves beneath Amara's dress for too long. Once she had looked her fill, she tore her eyes away and fixed them on the wrap sitting in the center of her plate. Her regular meal was even more delicious than usual, but her stomach was so fluttery that she had only managed to finish half. She forced herself to take another bite, unwilling to let it go to waste. "And Aethyta wasn't too bad this time," she said after she had swallowed. "I mean, by her standards…"

Amara laughed. "Don't worry. By her standards, Aethyta was really polite. She only mentioned my vids twice."

Neota bit down on the corner of her mouth, and her eyes darted away in embarrassment. "Well, uh, I guess it's nice to have fans? Even if they are like Aethyta..."

"Depends on the fan." Amara shifted forward in her seat again and reached for her drink, wrapping her slender fingers around the stem. "What about you, Neota? You know what I do, but you haven't said much about my work. Can I count you as one of my fans, too? You're definitely a cuter one than Aethyta."

Neota reached for her own drink. Suddenly, her throat felt uncomfortably dry. Her head spun, and the sensation couldn't be blamed entirely on the Parnithia Puncher. Amara's eyes were so beautiful… Amara. Amara was still waiting for an answer to her question. "Oh! I...I guess I've been a fan for a long time. I downloaded the Bondage Babes series when I was only seventy. Well, I didn't exactly download it." She took an unsteady breath, trying to find the courage to continue. Hopefully, Amara would get a laugh out of the story at least. "I might have, um, stolen it."

Amara's smile did not waver. "You mean you pirated a copy? Poor kid. Afraid of getting caught?"

"No, I literally stole it. One of my friends in school had an older sister, and we were going through her Omnitool. It came up on the 'recently played' list. I guess we wanted to feel like adults, or maybe we were just curious, but we watched the whole series."

"The whole series?" Amara winced. "Even the one with the elcor? You're kinkier than me."

Neota drained the last of her own drink to suppress a shudder. That particular vid hadn't been to her tastes, either. She coughed and set her glass back down on the table slightly harder than necessary. "Yeah. I wish I could forget that one. We mostly watched it for shock value, but then we got to the later ones that were mostly asari, and I stopped being shocked and started being…other things."

"Oh, don't stop there." Amara's fingers curled lower around the base of the glass as she brought it back to her mouth. The rim teased the edges of her lips, but she didn't drink. "Are you sure that friend was just a friend? You didn't decide to stage a re-enactment?"

Neota swallowed. At the time, she had been hoping something like that would happen, but sadly, her own life very rarely followed a predictable script. Amara's interest in her seemed to be the exception to that rule, although she didn't want to get her hopes up too soon. "No. Not with that friend. I dated a few girls in secondary school and at university…" Very, very few, although she didn't want to admit it. "But it never lasted long. I guess I was too quiet. It might have put them off."

"Or maybe they weren't interesting enough to hold your attention." Amara's eyelashes lowered, and Neota felt a shiver run down her spine. "I don't think you're too quiet. You've got hidden depths that some people don't notice, maybe, but that makes it all the more satisfying to learn new things about you…like the fact that you stole your first porn."

"I didn't think it was such an uncommon occurrence," Neota mumbled. "Don't most kids do things like that?"

"Oh, don't feel bad. It's a cute story. I never had any interest in watching porn until I started making it."

"What? How do you start acting in adult vids without being interested in them first?"

Amara shrugged. "Easy. Be a broke, reasonably attractive university student whose parents kicked her out of the house. Don't get me wrong, I could have gotten a different job to pay tuition. I had plenty of other options. But I liked interacting with people, I liked having lots of sex, and I especially liked the amount of credits they were willing to pay me for just a couple hours of my time. It probably helped that I was picky right from the start. If they asked me to do something or someone I didn't like, I left. I think the directors on the first couple of shoots thought I had a lot more experience in the business than I actually did, so they just went with it."

"That's why you're so successful, isn't it?" Neota said with sudden understanding. She felt slightly less guilty for enjoying Amara's vids after hearing more about them from her. "You don't embrace eternity with anyone on camera unless you're attracted to them. It must come across to the audience."

Amara gave her a heated look. "You aren't wrong. I told you I was picky, and not just when I'm being filmed."

"Not picky enough to complain about the salad, I hope," Aethyta drawled. Her eyes flicked down to the empty bowl, and a grin spread across her face. "Guess not. So, you two headed to the gardens next? Plenty of quiet, dark spots there, and it isn't as fucking loud as Purgatory… if you can keep quiet, I mean."

Neota's first reaction was to protest, but instead, she pressed her lips and waited for the initial wave of panic to pass. "Actually," she said at last, "a walk through the Presidium gardens sounds lovely. I bet it won't even be crowded."

Aethyta gave her an approving clap on the shoulder, but this time, she was expecting it. The blow didn't catch her by surprise, although she did tense a little at the Matriarch's deep, gravelly laughter. "That's the way to think. Get outta here. Your tab's on me tonight. I know Tevos is smart enough to pay you better than the rest of the poor suckers that work for the Council…" Her eyes shifted to Amara. "And I know your little lets-pretend as Aria has made you filthy fucking rich, but I'm feeling all generous and romantic and shit. You two are just too fucking cute."

"Really, you don't have to," Neota started, but Amara cut her off.

"Aw, thank you, Aethyta! That's really sweet. You're the best."

"Heh. First time someone's called me sweet in a couple centuries. Ah well, first time for everything. Get outta here, you two. Rapid transit's just around the corner."

Neota hurried to stand, although she made sure to offer Aethyta a sincere thank-you as she pushed her chair back in. Aethyta waved her off. "You're fine, kid. Just make sure she takes the stick outta your ass while she's down there, yeah?" Fortunately, Amara dragged her off before the situation could deteriorate any further. Neota barely had time to snatch her credit chit before she was stumbling toward the rapid transit terminal, considerably more relaxed than she had been at the beginning of the night.

"Goddess, I thought Aethyta said the took the punch out of my drink," she murmured as Amara helped her into the cab. "I was fine while we were sitting down, but now…"

"I have a feeling it'll wear off pretty quickly," Amara said, resting a soft hand on her thigh. It felt warm even through the material of her dress and Amara's gloves, and Neota's pulse sped up along the side of her throat. Amara's lips were so close to hers. It would be easy to just lean in and…

She shook herself. No. Here wasn't the place for the first real kiss of their first real date. In the gardens, under the shade of the trees. That was a much better spot. Their first encounter might have been rushed, but this time, she wanted it to be a little more romantic. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but things had turned out better than she had expected so far. Maybe things would finally work out for a change.

The cab came to a stop, and they climbed out together, linking arms again as they wandered down the short set of stairs leading into the garden. It was too late for most of the families to visit, and too early for the drunks filtering out of Purgatory, so they didn't see anyone else as they started along the narrow path. Soon, the canopy of the trees blocked out the edge of bright light shining down from the holographic sky, leaving them in comfortable shadow.

"You know, I haven't spent a lot of time here," Neota found herself saying. "I live on the Presidium, and I visit a lot of strange places while I'm running errands for the Councilor, but this is one I don't know very well."

Amara stopped beside a small stone bench just off the path. The trees surrounding it were draped with blossoming vines, and as Neota stepped closer, she noticed that the air smelled light and sweet. "I visit pretty regularly. There are certain times of day when it's really quiet. I like to come here and think."

"Think?" Neota started breathing faster as Amara's fingers reached out to link with hers. "About what?"

A dark purple flush spread from the tips of Amara's cheeks. "Well, for the past few weeks, I've done a lot of thinking about you. When you didn't call, I wondered if I should make the first move instead. I knew where you lived, and I knew how to get a hold of you, but I decided it wasn't a good idea. I wanted you to call me. I wanted to make sure you were interested in, well… I'm not sure yet, but something more than a quick, drunk fuck on one of the worst days of your life."

When the inevitable surge of guilt came, Neota pushed it down. Amara was here with her, out on an actual date, and she had no reason to feel upset anymore. "I should have called sooner," she whispered. "And for what it's worth, I don't know what we're doing yet, either." Her eyes fixed on Amara's lips, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look away. "But I really want…" _...to kiss you…_ "I really want to find out," she said instead.

One of Amara's hands reached out to cup the side of her cheek. "My heart is beating so fast, and I don't think it's because I had a drink. I feel giddy, like…"

"Me too."

Neota couldn't tell which of them leaned forward first, but when the heat of Amara's lips touched hers, she nearly fell over. They were soft, smooth, with just the right amount of pressure. She had to clutch both of Amara's shoulders to keep her balance. Somehow, she managed to kiss back, opening her mouth just enough to taste. Amara was sweet, even past the edge of alcohol. Sparks zipped down the middle of her back, and her entire body shuddered.

One kiss turned into two, and two into a string that lasted them all the way to the bench. Neota was relieved to be sitting down, although she didn't waste the breath to say so. Kissing Amara was much better than talking. Part of her expected Amara's hands to wander, or perhaps even her own, but instead, they simply held each other. The sense of urgency that had overwhelmed her last time was dulled. It was still there, smouldering just beneath the surface, but simply learning how to kiss Amara, how to coax different reactions from her and make her fingertips clench, was surprisingly satisfying.

"Would it be strange if I told you this was exactly the kind of night I was hoping for?" Amara murmured against her cheek when they finally pulled a few centimeters apart.

Neota smiled. Her mouth was still tingling. "No. I don't think it's strange at all."

. . .

**AN: **I'm on Twitter now: RaeDMagdon =D


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

Neota squinted and threw a hand over her eyes, trying to block out the painful glare from the open window. It came as a surprise, since she rarely slept in and always remembered to close the blinds. She groaned, flipping onto her other side and pulling the nearest pillow over her head. Her skull throbbed with every beat of her heart, and her mouth tasted like something had died in it. Not the best start to the morning.

Suddenly, she realized that she was not alone in the room. The sound of movement near the doorway startled her, and she threw the pillow aside, instinctively dragging the covers up to her chin. It took her blurry vision a few moments to refocus, but when it did, what she saw stopped her heart. Amara was standing at the front of the bedroom, wearing one of her robes and carrying a glass of water in one hand.

Oh, shit.

Neota tried to remember what had happened the night before, but most of it was a blur after their kiss in the garden. The Parnithia Puncher had hit her harder than Aethyta had promised, or perhaps she had just been overwhelmed by how quickly everything had fallen into place. "Um… good morning?" she croaked as Amara swayed over to the bed.

Amara smiled and set the glass of water down on the nightstand. "Hi, sleepyhead. This is for you. I thought you might wake up with a headache this morning."

Neota let out a grateful sigh when she noticed two small pills sitting next to the glass. "You are a Goddess," she whimpered, scooping them into her hand and downing them in one gulp. It proved to be a mistake, because she gagged and choked for a few moments before finally managing to force them down. "Er, sorry about that."

A line creased the middle of Amara's forehead. "As long as you're all right… Oh, you poor thing. You look terrified. Don't worry, we didn't sleep together again. We both decided to wait."

"We did?" Neota wasn't sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed. Eventually, she decided on 'relieved'. If she was going to Join with Amara again, she wanted to remember every moment of it, and she wanted it to happen while she was completely sober. For someone who did not indulge regularly, she had spent a lot of her time sloshed over the past few weeks. Perhaps she needed to say no the next time someone offered her alcohol.

Amara smirked and shifted a little closer to her on the bed. "I don't mind waiting until the second date, as long as that means we're having a second date."

"We're definitely having a second date," Neota blurted out before she could stop herself. "Last night was amazing." She blushed, tugging her lower lip between her teeth. "Um, I mean… I would love to see you again. I really like spending time with you."

"Good, because I like spending time with you, too." Amara glanced over at the clock. "What time do you need to be at work?"

Panic stabbed Neota's gut. She whirled around in bed to look at the time, letting out a small groan of disappointment when she saw how long she had overslept. "Half an hour ago," she whimpered. "I hate to rush out on you, but…"

"Don't worry about it," Amara said. "I know you have an important job to do. Aethyta really should have taken it easier with your drink."

"I'm sure she was 'taking it easy', at least by her standards." Neota hurried out of bed and rushed to the closet. She hurried to pull out a dress, not even bothering to check whether it was the right day. "I'm really sorry about this," she called back over her shoulder, heading straight for the bathroom. "I promise to make it up to you." The door closed before she could hear Amara's response, and she hurried to strip out of last night's underwear, blushing as she realized that she had given Amara a clear view while running around the room.

After the world's fastest shower - with everything that had happened last night, she couldn't justify skipping it - she pulled on fresh clothes and burst back into the bedroom just in time to see Amara finish making the bed. Neota froze. "You really are perfect, aren't you?" she breathed, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders.

Fortunately, Amara did not seem to hear her. "Good, you're out." She sauntered over and gave Neota a quick peck on the cheek. "Have a good day at work, all right? And don't worry about your apartment, I promise not to touch anything before I leave."

Neota's face burned, and she lifted her fingertips up to touch the place Amara had kissed. "Feel free to touch anything you like," she mumbled. "No! Goddess, I… I mean you can take a shower or make yourself some breakfast if you want. Now, I really need to go." With one last reluctant look over her shoulder, Neota hurried out of the bedroom and down the hallway.

. . .

"Goddess, I never thought I would see the day," Tevos drawled as Neota stumbled through the door to the outer office, exhausted from her mad dash up the stairs. She had not wanted to waste even a second waiting for the elevator, but in retrospect, it had been a poor choice. The Councilor's office was several floors up, and she knew that her face had to be a bright, burning purple. "In all the years you've worked for me, you've never arrived late. Not even once."

"I…It was…" Neota tried to force out an excuse, but she was too short of breath to form a complete sentence. It took her several moments to recuperate, and she propped herself up on the edge of her desk. She could not bring herself to look at the 'in' pile of work stacked by her terminal, or at Tevos's face. Either one would certainly bring disappointment. "I mean, it was an accident. I am so sorry, Councilor, I didn't think to set my alarm last night, and-"

"And I hope that means you had a good time on your date."

Reluctantly, Neota let her eyes flick up. Tevos was leaning comfortably against the wall beside the door to her own office. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she looked strangely pleased with herself. "I, well…" Neota took a deep, unsteady breath. "Yes. I did have a good time. But, um, not the good time you probably think I had."

Tevos laughed. "I'm sure it was wonderful anyway, and please don't worry about being late. If your streak of perfection had to end, at least it ended in the best way possible."

"The best way possible?" Neota stepped away from the desk, fisting the fabric of her dress and twisting it nervously in her hands. "I'm not sure what you mean…"

"You're glowing again, and even though you're shaking from nerves, you're smiling, too." The edges of Tevos's mouth curled in a smirk, showing off the stripe that split her lower lip. "That means the date was a success."

"We didn't sleep together," Neota blurted out before she could stop herself. She dropped the skirt of her dress and clapped her hands over her mouth, blushing fiercely. A soft, muffled whimper escaped from between her fingers, and she prayed that the floor would suddenly give way beneath her. Anything to spare her from this humiliation.

"What does sleeping together have to do with whether the date was a success?" Tevos pushed away from the wall and walked toward her, resting a comforting hand on top of her shoulder. "If you had a good time, it was worth going. You should keep seeing her. Amara is a lovely girl, and she obviously makes you happy. Why not see where it goes?"

Neota let her hand fall away from her mouth. "You're right," she whispered. "We already agreed to a second date. I just wish I knew what I was doing."

Tevos snorted. "And you think I knew what I was doing when I started seeing Aria? Believe me, I didn't. I had no idea what was going to happen, and I was very conscious of the fact that it might blow up in my face. I kept spending time with her anyway. I enjoyed her company that much." A blush spread across Neota's cheeks. She tried not to remember just how much Tevos did enjoy Aria's company - or how frequently. "Clearly, something about Amara has caught your interest. As your boss, what you do in your spare time is none of my business. But as your friend, I want you to be happy. If spending time with her makes you feel that way, you should keep going on dates with her."

Neota's stomach twisted. Amara had distracted her for a while, but her guilt returned full-force when she heard the word 'friend'. Tevos obviously cared about her, and here she was, still reporting to the Shadow Broker behind her back. "I'm a horrible person," she muttered under her breath. Not for the first time, she wished she could quit. Unfortunately, the Shadow Broker was no normal employer. Extricating herself from her current job would require more than the usual letter of resignation.

"Neota? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the thick lump growing above the dip in her collarbone. "Nothing, Madam Councilor. I've just… got a lot of things on my mind. Things that have nothing to do with Amara."

A thoughtful look crossed Tevos's face. "Have you scheduled your second date with her yet?" Neota shook her head, unsure why Tevos was even asking. "Good. If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you over for dinner tomorrow evening. Consider it an apology for what you had to witness two days ago."

"Oh, that really isn't necessary," she murmured, but Tevos was already activating her Omnitool.

"Please. I want to do this for you. I promise Aria will keep all of her clothes on this time."

Neota heaved a small sigh. Tevos was usually reasonable, but she also had a stubborn streak that could rival Aria's. There was no way for her to get out of this. "If you're sure…"

"Very sure. How does 14:00 sound?"

She barely managed to squeak out a 'yes' before Tevos started punching the information into her wrist. "But no drinks, please," she said, hoping the waver in her voice wasn't too obvious. "We ran into Aethyta at Apollo's Cafe last night, and…"

"Say no more." Tevos gave her a sympathetic smile. "No drinks, just food. I promise we won't keep you too late. Now, I think my 09:00 is due any minute…"

Neota did a quick mental review of the Councilor's schedule. Din Korlack again, with another of his fruitless attempts to get the volus a seat on the council. Privately, she thought that if any other high-ranking volus had shown even a passing interest in the position, the Council would have granted them representation years ago. "Of course. Would you like me to send him in when he arrives?"

Tevos shook her head. "Make him wait a little while. He's probably used to it by now… he shows up at least once a month." She turned back toward the door to her office, and Neota circled the desk, preparing to take her usual seat. "Oh, and Neota? Try not to worry too much about whatever's bothering you. I'm sure everything will work itself out, just like it did with Amara."

Neota gave Tevos a weak smile. "I hope so," she said, even though she didn't believe her own words.

. . .

**AN:** Sorry for the delay, but I've finally got the rest of this story plotted out. Three chapters and an epilogue to go! I'm hoping to finish it before my wedding (June 13th), and once I get back from my honeymoon, Now And Again will go back up with some major revisions. Meanwhile, paperback versions of The Second Sister will be available very, very soon, and you're all welcome to follow me on Twitter ( RaeDMagdon) or Facebook (/RaeDMagdon). Some other things coming up soon-ish: Part 3 of Asari Nights on the kink meme, Parts 1 and 2 in downloadable PDF form on my website, a brand new Dragon Age fic, and more info on Wolf's Eyes, the sequel to The Second Sister. Again, if you liked Dark Horizons or TSS, please go ahead and leave a review! I LOOOOVE positive reviews (and I even love the ones with nicely-worded constructive criticism). Oh, and speaking of DH, Sy Itha and I have started work on the sequel. So, that's happening. We're hoping to expand the world, and really delve into Taylor's character, since we short-changed her a teensy bit in the first book compared with Maia. I love you all, and thanks for the lovely reviews, messages, and follows on tumblr, twitter, FB, and the like. You're awesome.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

Neota waited nervously outside the door to Tevos's apartment, smoothing down the front of her dress even though it was hardly wrinkled. She laced her fingers together and tried not to pick at her sleeves. She had been to her boss's home many times before, and she even had her own key, but somehow, this felt different. Tonight was clearly not work-related, and Tevos had invited her here as a friend.

"Some friend I am," she murmured to herself as she stared down at her shoes. She did not have many close friends - most of the people in her life were mere acquaintances - but she was fairly certain that friendship did not involve spying and secret reports. Tevos considered her a friend under false pretenses.

Neota bit her lower lip, debating whether or not to make a dash back downstairs to the hovercar and claim she was too sick to visit. It would be easy to make an excuse, and the more she thought about it, the faster her heart raced. Backing out on dinner might be rude, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about maintaining the ugly lie she had created for herself. It felt like a lie now, not just an omission.

The door clicked open before she could make up her mind. Tevos stood in the entryway, beckoning her in with a smile. "Neota, I'm glad you're here. Dinner's almost finished. As usual, you have impeccable timing."

"Aside from yesterday morning," Neota said.

She felt a little better when Tevos laughed. "That was a special occasion… one I hope you'll tell me more about after you've settled in."

Neota swallowed as she trailed down the hallway after Tevos. The sharpest edges of her guilt eased as she remembered the time she had spent with Amara. Part of her wanted to discuss her date with Tevos, but she wasn't sure where to start. She and Amara had held hands, laughed, kissed… the memories felt intensely personal, but they were so lovely that she needed to share. At least this was one secret she didn't have to hide. "The two of us went on a walk through the Presidium gardens after dinner. It was absolutely beautiful. Amara told me she was just as nervous as I was."

"I'm not surprised. She's a very genuine person." Tevos stepped into the kitchen, and Neota followed cautiously, blushing when she noticed Aria leaning against the counter by the stove. The usual black leather pants hugged her hips, although she had decided to go without her white jacket. Immediately, Neota's mind flashed back to the events she had witnessed three days ago, and a shiver rushed down the length of her spine. Goddess, the expression on Aria's face as she had rocked into Tevos from behind… She shook herself. With the way the evening was going, she had more important things to worry about.

If Tevos noticed her brief falter, she didn't show it. Instead, she circled the table and approached the counter, wrapping one arm around Aria's waist and giving her an affectionate squeeze. "Don't worry, Neota. She's promised to be on her best behavior tonight."

"Yeah, yeah…" Aria's lips twitched into a smirk. "It depends on what you consider good behavior. You seem to like me best when I'm bad."

Tevos snorted, but Neota caught the flicker at the edges of her mouth as she tried not to smile. "You know perfectly well what good behavior entails. You just choose to ignore it most of the time. But poor Neota's had a lot to deal with lately, and I don't want you upsetting her."

Neota sighed. Tevos was right. She had been dealing with a lot lately, and the worst part was that she couldn't talk about it with anyone. Her side-job for the Broker needed to remain a secret, no matter how guilty she felt about betraying Tevos, and it wasn't like she had close friends to gossip with about Amara. "Maybe I should consider a therapist," she mumbled to herself.

"Oh, come on, seeing us naked couldn't have been that traumatizing," Aria teased. "It happens at least once a month, right?"

Neota's eyes shot open in surprise. "Wait, did I say that out loud? Goddess, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Tevos said. She drifted away from Aria and checked the pot on top of the stove. "Dinner's ready. We went with stir-fry, human style, although we replaced a few of the vegetables. When Shepard gave me the recipe, she insisted on adding some Earth vegetable called broccoli." She pulled an unpleasant face. "I can't stand it."

Hearing Shepard's name reminded Neota of her previous embarrassment. "Commander Shepard and Doctor T'Soni weren't too upset with me, were they? I mean, Doctor T'Soni was very kind to me the morning after the, um…"

"After you walked in on us fucking," Aria finished.

Tevos stopped reaching into the cabinets for the bowls and cast a reproachful look over her shoulder. "Aria!"

Aria stuck out her lower lip. "Hey, it's what all of us were thinking. But don't worry about Shepard and Liara, kid. They know it wasn't your fault, and they know you won't tell anyone. Honestly, I don't think anything bad would happen if that particular secret came out. Shepard's always behaved more like an asari than a human, anyway."

"I'm trying to decide whether that remark was racist, a compliment, or both." Tevos held out one of the bowls, and Aria scooped a generous helping of meat, vegetables, and noodles into the bottom without being asked. Neota had observed their interaction for years, but seeing them in a domestic setting made their connection even more obvious. It wasn't just sexual, although there was a noticeable undercurrent of desire as they stood close to each other. It was intimate. Familiar. It made her long for things she did not understand.

She came back to herself as Tevos and Aria brought dinner to the table, and she cautiously took a seat when Tevos gave her a reassuring smile and did the same. Aria remained standing. "What'll you have, Neota? I'm no Aethyta, but I can make just about any drink you want."

"I, um… Just water for me, thank you. The last few times I asked for something stronger, I ended up embarrassing myself."

"Speaking of Aethyta, she interrupted Neota's date," Tevos explained as Aria filled their drinks.

Aria gave a sharp bark of laughter. "What, really? Damn, I'm sorry. The crazy old bitch didn't ruin it, did she?" Even though she was using insults, her tone of voice was surprisingly fond as she spoke about Aethyta. Neota wondered just how well they knew each other.

"No, Aethyta didn't ruin anything," she said as Aria set a glass of water down in front of her. "She was actually kind of… sweet. I mean, she did scare our real server away and take over our tablee, and she made my drink way too strong even though she said she wouldn't, but she picked up the tab, and she wasn't rude to Amara. That counts for something, right?"

"Of course it does," Tevos said. "Aethyta might be a little unconventional, but she's got a good heart. She obviously approved of the date, or she would have made both of you miserable."

"I approve, too," Aria said around a mouthful of stir fry. Neota glanced down at her own bowl, and even though her nerves had suppressed most of her appetite, it did smell very good. "No offense, Neota, but I can't think of anyone who needs to relax and get laid more than you."

Neota nearly dropped her fork before it got to her mouth, but Tevos only gave Aria an indulgent smile. "Sometimes I think you're more like Aethyta than you want to admit. It's probably why the two of you never get along."

"We get along fine," Aria protested. "She's just an ass."

"Exactly."

Before Neota realized it, they were almost done with their meal. Tevos and Aria proved surprisingly adept at drawing her into conversation, and she found herself sharing more details about her date with Amara. Guilt lingered at the back of her mind, ready to surge back up and swallow her whenever Tevos laughed or smiled at something she said, but she managed to keep it mostly in check. "She told me a little about how she got started in her career," she told them as her fork scraped the bottom of the bowl, gathering up the last of her noodles. "Apparently, she only does scenes with people she's genuinely attracted to."

Tevos did not look surprised. "I told you Amara was a genuine person."

"You should take it as a compliment," Aria added over the edge of her own bowl. "If she won't spend time with anyone she doesn't like for credits, there's no way she would spend time with you for free unless she was really interested in you."

Neota blinked in surprise, and the last of her doubts slipped away. "I… never thought of it that way. You're right." Some of the tightness in her chest unravelled, and she sank further down in her seat, dropping the grip of her fork. "Goddess, I didn't know I needed to hear that until just now."

"It's what the rest of us have been telling you from the start, but Aria can be… persuasive." Tevos stood up and began collecting the dishes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take these away." Before Neota could protest, she slipped out of the room, leaving her alone with Aria.

"So, what made you think Amara wouldn't really be interested in you?" Aria asked as soon as Tevos was out of earshot. She shifted closer around the edge of the table, crossing one leg over her knee as she moved her chair.

Neota stared down at her knees, unwilling to meet Aria's eyes. Her stomach felt strangely queasy, and she wasn't sure whether it was because Aria was sitting so close to her, or because she had finally let one of her largest fears go. They were almost near enough to share body heat, and their thighs were only a few inches apart. "I don't know. Maybe because I'm socially awkward. Maybe because nobody expressed a real interest in me before. Maybe because I don't think I'm good enough…"

She lifted her gaze just in time to see Aria's face leaning close to hers. First, her eyes, dark pools that threatened to drown her. Then, the heat of her breath, the flash of deep purple that ran through her lower lip. Finally, the warmth and pressure of her mouth. Neota's fingers clenched, then relaxed. Her body trembled, and a soft whimper broke in her throat.

When Aria finally pulled away, far sooner than she expected, Neota gasped for air. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest. The unexpected kiss had only lasted a few seconds, but it had stolen all the breath from her lungs. Her hands shook as she clutched the edge of her chair. But still…

She remembered the trees, the soft whisper of the leaves as Amara's fingertips stroked her cheek. She had inhaled the sweet scent of flowers as Amara drew closer and closer, bringing their lips together in a kiss so tender that it didn't just make her heart speed up. It stopped completely. In that moment, she had honestly worried that if she didn't clutch at Amara's hand, she would float away...

"There's something missing," she whispered, flashing back to the present.

Aria leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. A satisfied grin spread across her face. "Right? Now you won't have any more doubts. That kiss might have turned you on…" Neota's cheeks flared, and she tried to ignore the heavy throbbing directly between her legs. "But it wasn't the same. I'm glad you get it."

Neota let out a shaking breath. "You know, that's two of my three biggest problems you've dealt with tonight - worrying that someone as wonderful as Amara could never really like me, and worrying that I was mostly interested in her because she, um, looks like you."

The tattoo on Aria's forehead lifted. "You more than like her, Neota, and not just because she does a convincing impression of me. Otherwise, you'd still be kissing me. Go with it. You've got nothing to lose."

The sound of a throat clearing behind her made Neota turn and look over her shoulder. Tevos was standing at the entrance to the hallway, and her smile mimicked Aria's. Neota's lips began to move, already forming excuses and apologies, but Tevos simply held up her hand. "Please don't worry about it, Neota. You and I have had this conversation before."

Neota clamped her mouth shut and gave Tevos a sheepish shrug. She had no idea what to say. What could she say after kissing her boss's bondmate, even if it was for a good reason? "Don't worry, I didn't traumatize her," Aria said from beside her, sounding exceptionally pleased with herself. "I mean, I'm a great kisser, but…"

"Hush." Tevos gave Aria a half-exasperated, half-adoring look. "Now, before I came in, I heard something about three big problems." Neota squirmed as Tevos turned to her again. She shifted in her seat, fighting the impulse to stare down into the safety of her lap. With some effort, she managed to meet and hold Tevos's gaze. "We've dealt with two of them. Would you like my help with the third?"

This was it, Neota realized. Tevos had displayed the utmost trust in her, not just tonight, but ever since the start of their working relationship. More than that, she had proven to be a kind and generous friend. Her gut lurched. No matter what, she could not continue on like this. Something had to change.

"I'm working for the Shadow Broker," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Her eyes darted to Tevos's face as soon as she said it, waiting for surprise to break across her calm features, or anger to tighten the smooth skin around her mouth. But nothing happened. Tevos did not react. She simply waited in silence. Neota swallowed around the thick lump that had lodged itself in her throat. "I did say that out loud, right? Not just in my head?"

Tevos nodded. "Yes, you said it out loud. And now, you can stop worrying about it. I already knew."

Already knew? Neota felt a rush of vertigo, and she slammed her forearm down on the side of the table for support. She began swaying, and the world around her blurred at the edges. "Already… knew…?" The questions began pouring out. "But, how? Why? And why didn't you…"

"Why didn't I say anything? Why would I? The Shadow Broker has always spied on the Council. If my actions are going to be reported to the most powerful information broker in the galaxy, I'd rather know the person doing the reporting." She gave a soft laugh. "Besides, the Shadow Broker and I aren't exactly on bad terms. He, she, or they have been rather sympathetic to the asari government recently."

"But I was spying on you," Neota protested. "You should be angry at me, or feel betrayed, or… or something!" She was not sure what she had expected Tevos's reaction to be after she confessed, but muted acceptance definitely wasn't it.

"You were spying on me?" Tevos said, deliberately emphasizing the word. "Past tense?"

"Well, I obviously can't keep doing it now that you know. I have no idea how I'm going to quit without getting a bullet through my skull, but… I guess I'll have to, won't I?" She let out a long, steady sigh, blinking to try and ease the sting behind her eyes. "That's all right, though. I don't want to be an agent anymore. I haven't for a long time. You're… you're my friend."

Tevos smiled as she stepped the rest of the way into the kitchen. "You're my friend, too, Neota. As for quitting… consider yourself resigned. Your status as an agent has been compromised, so there's no reason for the broker to keep in contact with you. I'll take care of the rest."

"Take care of it? But how-"

"The Council might not know all of the Shadow Broker's secrets, but we know how to contact them if we need to. And don't take this the wrong way, but my daily schedule and extranet correspondences aren't exactly high-priority these days. Most of them are dreadfully boring."

"You can say that again," Aria muttered. "I swear, I can fall asleep just by reading over your shoulder."

Suddenly, Neota burst out into relieved laughter. Her stomach heaved until it ached, and tears streamed from her eyes. Tevos and Aria rushed to her side, and one of them clasped her shoulder as she sobbed into her hands. "You really don't need to cry," Tevos said from somewhere above her. The sound of her voice made Neota's chest heave harder. "You can write a letter of resignation if it makes you feel better…"

"Feel better? I - I think I already feel better. Probably for the first time in years." As she said it, she realized it was the truth. "You know," she continued, ignoring the break in her voice, "it's a lot easier to like yourself when you aren't lying all the time…"

Tevos gave the back of her neck a reassuring squeeze. "I don't think you were lying all the time, Neota. If you only cared about working for the Broker, why did you come looking for me when the Reapers destroyed the Citadel? Why didn't you tell them about my relationship with Aria before the story broke? And why have you stayed all these years? I'm sure the Broker could have found a better use for someone with your talents."

"I… I guess you're right. I always cared about you…" Her eyes darted over to Aria. "Both of you. I just didn't know how to tell you about…"

"The spy thing?" Aria rested one hand on her hip. "You didn't need to tell us. Trust me, I've spent centuries dealing with the Broker's agents. You were pretty easy to spot."

"I should be insulted," Neota sniffed, "but the only thing I can feel right now is relief."

"That's all you need to feel," Tevos said. "Hopefully, you can focus on Amara with a clear head now."

Neota tilted her chin up and brushed away the last of her tears with her sleeve. She smiled despite the wet streaks smeared across her face. "Yes. I think I can."

. . .

**AN:** More updates soon! =D Follow me on Facebook (/RaeDMagdon), Twitter ( RaeDmagdon), or Tumblr (raedmagdon dot tumblr dot com) if you want to know when they're live immediately. Also, I've started a new project on Tumblr called Kissing The Prince. You should all check it out. My second post is going up tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

"Well, that vid was… interesting," Neota said as she and Amara exited the theater. Catching the late showing of 'Blasto 8: Blasto Cures The Genophage' had been her idea, but in retrospect, it wasn't a wise choice. Although the Blasto movies were popular with just about everyone on the Citadel, the storyline was laughably inaccurate. Perhaps her job as Tevos's attaché had ruined her for any movies that portrayed politicians or the events of the Reaper war.

"Interesting, huh?" Amara gave her a wide grin. "Which part? The plot, or the love scenes?"

"Um… mostly the plot," Neota mumbled. She hoped her blush wasn't too obvious. The love scenes in Blasto weren't explicit, especially compared with Amara's filmography, but the thought of a hanar in any sexual situation made her feel slightly embarrassed. "I didn't like the way they used the krogan diplomats for cheap laughs. Councilor Urdnot Bakara and the other krogan politicians I've known have always been reasonable… even if their interpersonal skills are a bit rough around the edges."

"You know how movies are. Every species gets typecast. It's why we're always sexpots. Anyway, I never go into a theater with high expectations. Give me a few explosions and a pretty girl next to me, and I can't really complain."

Neota smiled, remembering the way Amara had leaned close to her in the dark. It certainly explained why vids were such a popular date activity. She had even found the courage to rest one of her hands on top of Amara's knee for a few minutes, although she had quickly removed it once Blasto started fondling his latest elcor conquest with his tentacles. "Perhaps you're right," she said as they turned the corner and started down the sidewalk. "I should lower my standards."

"Only when it comes to vids," Amara laughed. "At least the cinematography wasn't so bad in this one. Blasto 6 almost made me sick with all the spinning shots. And the love scenes weren't terrible, either."

"I suppose you're the expert. I'm afraid I don't know much about love scenes or hanar."

"You aren't the only one. Would it make you feel better if I said that there are just as many misconceptions about hanar sexuality as asari sexuality? They have three genders, but the exchange of genetic material isn't quite as messy as it is with some other species."

"Messy?" Neota flushed. Her mind was torn between imagining Amara with a hanar, an image she found more than a little disturbing, and imagining what her definition of 'messy' included. The word conjured up memories of their drunken one night stand, and her heart started thumping harder.

"I don't know from experience," Amara said. "I've never done a scene with a hanar. You know asari-exclusive scenes are my specialty, although I've worked with my fair share of humans, batarians, and turians."

"Which were your favorites?" Neota asked. Even though she was slightly worried about the answer, she could not deny that she was curious about Amara's work.

Amara shrugged. "I don't really have a preference for species. It depends on the actress. Trust me, you can tell if someone's having sex with you because they want to or if they're just in it for the credits even without melding. If they're into me, I'm usually into them." Neota shivered when Amara gave her a pointed look. "That isn't to say I don't prefer encounters that are a little more… organic. Doing porn was fun, and you can even form intimate connections with people if you have the right attitude, but it's no substitute for something like a relationship."

"Was?" Neota repeated. She couldn't help zeroing in on the word. "You mean, you aren't going to act anymore? It's - it's not because of me, is it? No, of course it isn't. We've only just started… whatever this is."

Amara stopped beside the rapid transit terminal and leaned against the railing. "Oh, I'll still do the occasional scene once in a while. Like I said, no one else in the business can do a really convincing Aria. It would be a shame to deprive the galaxy of the Queen's most flattering imitator." Her gaze shifted away as she looked out over the Wards. "Does that bother you, Neota?"

Instead of answering right away, Neota paused. Did the thought of Amara doing more scenes upset her? She searched deep within herself, trying to pick up on any feelings of jealousy or nervousness, but to her surprise, there was nothing to find. "I… I guess it doesn't. I feel like it should, but I don't really see the problem. I knew about your career before we started seeing each other. It would be silly of me to ask you to change it now. Besides, you're right. It would be a shame to deprive the galaxy of the most talented Aria impersonator in the business."

Amara turned back toward her, and a brilliant smile broke across her face. "That's the answer I've been looking for. I'm moving on to a different stage of my career right now, but I don't think I could be with someone who wanted me to stop completely."

"I would lose out if you quit," Neota said. She leaned against the railing beside Amara, sliding close so that their arms brushed. "I've already preordered your next vid."

"The second vid about Aria and Councilor Tevos? Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that one." Amara turned to face her, and Neota blushed. She couldn't stop watching the way Amara's mouth moved. It would be easy to reach out and cup her cheek, draw her in for another kiss... "I might need to sweet talk you into coming to the release party as my date. It should be fun. I made sure to give Aria a personal invitation, and I think she's actually going to show up."

The sound of Aria's name yanked Neota out of her dreamlike state. "I kissed her, you know," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Once the words escaped, she drew her lower lip between her teeth. "I mean… she kissed me. It happened the other night."

Amara's eyes widened in surprise, but to Neota's relief, she didn't look angry. Instead, she laughed. "Aria kissed you? Well, now I have to ask… how did I compare?"

"You didn't just compare," Neota murmured. "I liked your kiss better. Aria even told me so."

Amara leaned back against the railing. She crossed her arms over her chest, and her lips twitched up in a proud smirk that made her resemblance to Aria even more prominent. "Aria actually admitted that my kisses were better than hers? Well, I guess I can retire happy now."

"I'm sure Tevos would have a different opinion."

"Probably, but hers isn't the opinion I care about."

Neota blushed and shifted away from the railing, circling to stand in front of the rapid transit terminal. She was afraid that if she continued standing close to Amara, she would end up kissing her again. The idea was appealing, but she wasn't sure she wanted to share that moment with the crowd wandering by. "Where are we going next?" she asked as she activated the menu screen. She stole a quick glance at Amara from the corner of her eye and summoned her courage. "I… I'm not sure I want tonight to be over yet."

"It doesn't need to be. You can always come back to my place for a while."

Neota's hand fell away from the terminal. She turned back toward Amara, searching her face for a long moment. There was no expectation there, only a soft, hopeful smile that made her stomach flutter. "I, um… are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure." Amara closed the small distance between them, reaching out to take her hand. Warmth flooded up along Neota's arm. "Look, you don't have to be nervous with me. I'm asking you to come home with me because I want to spend more time with you, not because I'm expecting sex." Neota shivered as the pad of Amara's thumb ran over the base of her palm. "I'm not opposed to sex, of course, but I'll be happy as long as you say yes."

Neota took a deep breath in through her nose, squeezing her fingers tighter around Amara's. Her first instinct was to say no. Despite how much she wanted to spend time with Amara - no, that was an understatement. It was time to start being honest with herself. Just looking at Amara sent sharp pulses of want directly between her legs - despite how much she wanted to fuck Amara until she couldn't walk anymore, she was terrified of rejection. What if Amara changed her mind after she got what she wanted? What if she expected a performance like the ones she often gave in front of a camera? What if…

But Amara was still looking at her, wearing such an open, honest expression that the negative voices in her head started to fade away. This time, she didn't need someone else to remind her that Amara was genuinely interested in her, and she was worthy of that interest. She wasn't the same person she had been a few weeks ago. She had asked someone out on a date for the first time in her life. She had quit her job as a Shadow Broker Agent, and discovered that she did have friends after all. She had even kissed the Queen of Omega and lived to tell about it. She could be brave enough to explore these new, terrifying, wonderful feelings, and the more she got to know Amara, the safer she felt.

"I'd love to," she whispered. "Why don't you call us a cab?"


End file.
